Hello All;
I'm looking for a high-end freestanding residential gas stove. I am looking to pay about $1,000 - $1,500 and want such features as convection cooking, warming drawer, the ability to add a griddle on the top, and so on. Can anyone recommend good brands to consider ?

Also, my mother tells me to stay away from GE because she says that the recent GE stove she bought seems not very well insulated and gets very hot on the sides when she's cooking in the oven. Is this a common issue with stoves ? She doesn't think she got a low end model because she paid about $600 for it. Is there any way to tell which stove is going to be well inslulated just by looking at it in the showroom ?

Can you recommend some good brands (and maybe models) that are well built and seem to have fewer problems than norm ?

Robo410;
Thank you very much for your responses. How do you like your Wolf Range ? What kind do you have - 30", 36", Charbroiler, etc ? I've looked at wolf for a long time and as an avid cook would get it in a heartbeat if it weren't for the extra ventiliation I'd need. If I was doing a kitchen remodel, it wouldn't bother me as much. I know it's pretty popular and for the most part, I don't read many things bad about Wolf. A local dealer just down the road from me does sell them and their price for a 30" dual fuel range isn't bad but I kind of like the idea of having a Char Broiler but that really jacks up the price. Do you feel they are pretty reliable and is it easy to get service anywhere in the U.S. ? Are they built durably ? My mother complains about how her GE residential stove gets so hot on the sides. I've read a thread about how ranges with fancy control panels burn up easioly (Ie. fail often) due to the high heat of a self-clean cycle and general high heat of operation. I would perfer reliability over fancy features.

I've had my Wolf DF366 for almost 4 years with no service issues at all. Wolf has a 24/7 customer service line with real people! If they sell in your area, there is a qualified service agent available.

My range is 6 burners and the convection oven. The infrared broiler in the oven is awesome, and I use a Weber kettle outside. Obviously I can put a grill pan or griddle on my range, but don't have a built in because I wanted the most use for my money and limited space. I have found the range absolutely trustworthy...it does what I ask it to do and that's a lot.

Good ventilation is the most important kitchen appliance you can have. Consider it regardless of what stove you buy.

The Wolf all gas ranges have no frills (same with Capital and Blue Star, both good companies to look at). The Dual Fuel have the timer clock etc.

However, there are many choices out there and I urge you to go see them in person. Some I looked at on line seemed great until I saw them in person...way too much plastic for me. Others my various friends and contacts steered me away from...such as your mom's GE experience.

I like the no frills idea. I don't need timers and self clean features, etc ...

But of course, I really want convection cooking which I'm happy it has.

I have a few questions about grills/griddles. Could you suggest where I may buy grills/griddles that I put on the top of the range as an alternative to a built-in unit ? Have you personally used these in the past ? Do you know how food cooked on a separate grill/griddle compares to food cooked on a built-in unit ?

I watched the video of how to clean a Wolf built-in Infrared Char Broiler and it seems pretty complicated to me. A separate unit placed on the top of a range is probably a lot easier to clean between uses.

I have one more question I thought I'd ask. Is there any particular reason to consider dual-fuel or is all-gas pretty much the same ?